


Hey

by Ten



Category: Saints Row
Genre: Boss: Meredith, Boss: Yuri, Bossville, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-02
Updated: 2014-05-02
Packaged: 2018-01-21 16:06:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1556222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ten/pseuds/Ten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Meredith and Yuri had a fight. They're not dealing with it like grown ups.</p><p>Guest appearance of Boss Eris Malcolm and Mer's Shaundi.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ophexis](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Ophexis).



"Uh... you've been in here a lot recently. With a broken window every time." The mechanic gives the shattered front window of the Gunslinger a raised eyebrow.

Meredith makes an exasperated noise and crosses his arms. "My... co-driver is a bit obsessed with breaking glass."

"... are your doors stuck?"

"No." The President's expression darkens, so the mechanic decides not to push it.

"Well, I'll fix it right up. Gotta say, this car is otherwise in great condition!"

"Yeah. Had my co-driver pimp it for me."

She falters. "Wh- the same one?"

Mer's lips purse more. "Yeah. Thought if it's a car he worked on, he won't break it. But I guess it's still _my_ car so he doesn't give a shit."

"Sir, you need a better co-driver." The mechanic ducks under the glare Meredith gives her and gets to work.

* * *

[SMS] WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU AREN'T TALKING  
[SMS] THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE I DIDN'T GET MY 'THE WORLD IS ENDING' SNEEZE!  
[SMS] DO YOU NEED ME TO ARRANGE A DAY OUT

[SMS] No. Let it go Eris.

[SMS] FUCK

* * *

"Okay, Mer, this is ridiculous!"

Meredith looks up quickly because Shaundi only uses his name when she means business, or when they're fucking. And they aren't fucking. "What?"

"You've been checking your phone constantly for the last few days. I think you're at once every half hour by now!"

"Sorry love."

"No, you don't say that to me. You say that to whoever you had a fight with, because ever since you came back from Bossville with a black eye, your mood has been shit!"

"Fuck no, I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Oh my god, who the hell cares. Just message him."

"Fuck that, he'd message me if he gave a shit."

Shaundi headdesks and mutters something about teenagers.

* * *

Meredith knows he has no chance, so his fantasies never depended on Yuri's input. Can't have someone anyway, might as well go all out in your mind. Even so, his mind just can't do it now. Not even the angry sex fantasy works because there's a difference between Yuri's normal furious expression, and that fucking, awful sneer.  
Mer rolls over in frustration and grabs his phone to check the time. 2am. Great. Tomorrow's not gonna be the best of days. Well, today technically.

A soft ding announces the message that pops up on his phone screen.

[SMS] hey

It's Yuri.

Mer sits up, his fingers flying over the keys before he is even upright.

[SMS] hey

He presses send, then cusses. Shaundi is right, he's being a teenager. There is silence from the other end then, and Mer frowns at his phone. Of course Yuri doesn't have anything to say after such a mindblowing exchange at 2am in the night.  
It's 2am.  
Meredith squints, then mentally smacks himself up the head and sends another message.

[SMS] Can't sleep?

The wait is much shorter this time.

[SMS] What no  
[SMS] kinda  
[SMS] yeah

Yes, that sounds just like Yuri. Mer feels relief shoot through him so sharply, he has to move, so he tosses his phone aside and rolls back and forth in his blanket for a moment. Then he clears his throat and quickly picks the phone back up. He's smooth. He's cool.

[SMS] Wanna hang?

No answer, and the relief quickly turns into a sinking feeling of dread. He was wrong. Yuri is probably drunk or sleepy and didn't really mean to text him.  
Meredith frowns again, trying to find a way to take it back that doesn't sound like he's taking it back. After an eternity of a silent phone, he starts typing, something about how he meant hanging with Eris of course, because she's so distracting and-

And then there is the ding again.

[SMS] okay

Mer nearly breaks his phone in half, then lets out a long breath. Okay. _Okay_.  
... okay, now he has to make it good. Luckily, he knows what Yuri likes.

[SMS] Wanna go for a ride? It's a warm night.

He is already out of bed, and while he slips into his fancy tank top, the response arrives.

[SMS] okay

There is something off about the messages, but Yuri never had scruples saying no to something he doesn't want, so Mer is satisfied with that answer. He worms into his skirt and boots, then grabs phone and keys, typing on his way down to the garage.

[SMS] I'll pick you up at your crib. Be there in a few.

* * *

Yuri is sitting on his stairs when Mer arrives, hunched, a mostly empty bottle of beer in his hand, and doesn't even raise his head when the car comes to a halt in front of him. He looks small and forlorn, like a dog waiting for its dead owner in an empty house. This is not about their fight. This is something else.

Mer looks at him quietly for a moment, then speaks up. "Get in." It seems like Yuri needs that verbal push.

Yuri pulls himself up and opens the door, even though it's the convertible Gunslinger, then sits heavily in the passenger seat. He stares silently at the dashboard, and Mer starts the car again.

The bustling noises of the city's nightlife are definitely not the right background right now, so Mer takes the long route across the bridge and along the coast. They leave the flickering lights and police sirens behind, and when it has finally become quiet, Mer glances at the other Boss.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Yuri doesn't answer, just keeps staring at the dashboard, clutching his bottle. A no then. Mer keeps driving. He filled up, they can go the whole night. He doesn't mind. The air is indeed warm, and there is only the head wind. The road winds along the coastline for a long time, then breaks off through the forest.

"'couldn't save her."

Meredith nearly didn't hear, that's how quiet and unexpected the words are after the long silence. He glances at Yuri again. "Who?"

Yuri just hunches a bit more, and Mer falls quiet again, letting him decide when to talk.

He does talk, a few words every now and then while they drive through the last remaining forest near Steelport. Mumbles fragmented sentences, as he does when he has to express emotions, and never looks up. There are long pauses in between, and Mer realizes Yuri uses them to keep control of himself. To keep those emotions low, before they can overwhelm him. Hurt him. Just like he uses his anger.  
It was a nightmare, failing to protect her. Yuri never tells who it is, and it doesn't really matter. Mer knows that specific kind of dream. Shaundi had it all the time. If Mer were prone to nightmares, he'd probably too.

He can tell when Yuri is done talking, from the way the other Boss lets a shaky breath slip and slouches in his seat. He knows there is nothing he could say to chase the sensation of the dream away, so instead he turns onto a side road that leads out of the forest again. They leave the dense tree walls behind them just as the sun breaks over the horizon, bathing them in orange, then yellow then white. Yuri squints a little, but he does look up, and by the time the sun is a whole circle, he has leaned back in his seat and let go of the empty beer bottle.  
Mer decides it's a good time to drive back then. It'll take a few hours, and the tigers probably miss their Mum.

An hour later, he looks over to find that Yuri has fallen asleep. The crease between his eyebrows has softened, and for a brief, irrational moment, Meredith wishes he could just drive like this forever. He can't, not even in Bossville, but he can stop the car and quietly get a blanket from the trunk. He drapes it over Yuri, careful not to wake him (though there's probably no danger of that anyway with how tired Yuri must be), then they are back to driving.

They come across a diner half an hour later, and Meredith parks in front of it, then hurries inside. He returns with two coffees and a pack of donuts, but he doesn't wake Yuri up. The coffee is decent enough to be okay cold. There are more important things. Like rest.

When Mer can first see the bridge peek between cliffs, that irrational wish reappears with a vengeance. He doesn't want to return to the city yet. So he compromises. He turns onto a nearby nook shaded by trees and parks the car, then settles back with his coffee, occasionally stealing glances at Yuri to make sure he doesn't fall out of his seat.

At some point, his phone dings, and he hurries to grab it before it can wake the man next to him.

[SMS] OKAY SO  
[SMS] My Kinzie's been mentioning that you two are still sulking so I propose a healthy round of car flipping  
[SMS] NO EXCUSES

Mer chuckles softly, and texts back.

[SMS] Thanks love, but there's no need.  
[SMS] It's okay again.


End file.
